Apparatus for giving hydrotherapeutic treatments



H. C. FRIEND May 31, 1960 APPARATUS FOR GIVING HYDROTHERAPEUTICTREATMENTS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 11, 1954 INVENTOR. HOME? 6.FRIEND ATTORNEY H. C. FRIEND May 31, 1960 APPARATUS FOR GIVINGHYDROTHERAPEUTIC TREATMENTS Filed Feb. 11. 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. HOMER C. FRIEND A TTORNE r H. C. FRIEND May 31, 1960 APPARATUSFOR GIVING HYDROTHERAPEUTIC TREATMENTS Filed Feb. 11, 1954 3Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. HOME? 6. FR/E/VD ATTORNEY nited States Patent iAPPARATUS FOR GIVINGHYDROTHERA- PEUTIC TREATMENTS Homer C. Friend,1910Brady, Davenport, Iowa Filed Feb. 11, 1954, Ser. No. 409,707

Claims. (Cl. 128-66) The present invention relates to the art ofhydrotherapeutics and comprises, among its objects, the provision ofimproved apparatus for giving hydrotherapeutic treatment with a newmethod of treating patients.

In the drawings annexed hereto and forming a part hereof,

Fig. l is a partial elevational section of a tub in which a valve ofthis invention is mounted and is shown as connected to a pump;

Fig. 2 shows an elevation of a valve provided with means for indicatingthe percentage of pressure utilized;

Fig. 3 shows a valve in section, taken at a right angle to thepassageway through the valve;

Fig. 4 shows a section similar to that in Fig. 3 but taken substantiallyalong the plane indicated 'by the line 4-4, in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section ofa valve embodying means for screwingthe valve member in foradjusti'ng the flow of water;

Fig. 6 shows the use of two streams of water;

Fig. 7 shows the application of a. single stream. of water directly uponthe patient;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a tank or tub with a spray extendingsubstantially all the way around and shooting the spray toward thecenter of the tank or tub;

Fig. 9 shows a modified head which is rotatable about the axis of thesupporting pipe;

Fig. 10 is a section of the head shown in Fig. 9, taken substantiallyalong the plane indicated by the line 1010, in that figure; and

Fig. 11 is a partial elevational section similar to Fig. l but showingthe valve in a difierent position from that shown in Fig. 1.

Reference will now be made in greater detail to the annexed drawings fora more complete description of the invention. In hydrotherapeutics, itis common practice to rub or massage the patent with water, customarilyheated. However, it is preferable to have the water shot as a stream, ormultiple streams, against the skin of the patient, thereby giving amassage treatment. In order for this massage treatment to do thegreatest amount of good, the water should have a specific pressure whenapplied to the patient, although the pressure should be varied fordifferent patients.

For convenience in the application of this treatment, I prefer a tank ortub 1 containing a housing 2 for the reception of a pump 3, which tankdoes not communicate with the interior of the housing 2. For easy accessto the pump 3, located within the housing 2, this housing 2 has a doorleading through the wall of the tank and into the room in which the tankis located.

The housing 2 has an opening for a pipe 4, which pipe is welded in placeto the wall of the housing, water tight, to prevent leakage of waterfrom the tank 1 into the housing 2. At the end of this pipe 4, whichleads from the pump 3, is a pressure gauge 18 to indicate what thepressure of the flow of water from the pump 2,938,517 Patented May 31',1960 2 Sis, and to whichpressurcgauge is attached a flexible tube 5. Atthe endof's'aid flexible tube 5 ha valve 6, andthistube should be longenough to-re'aohthe patient, wherever he may be in the tank.

The valve 6 is of the type showniin my Patent No. 2-,669E233, but itmaybe modified therefrom, as will be explained hereinafter. This valve 6is provided with a water inlet 7, a water outelt 8, and one-or more bypass outlets 9: Instead of the valve6 beingconnected to the pipe-fi esshown in Fig. I, the pipe 5 may 'be'omitted entirely-and the valve 6connectedto the pipe 4, as shown in Fig. 1, with the pressure gauge 18therebetween to measure the pressure of the-Waterfiom the pump 3, asshown in Fig. 11. Then a flexible tube 5a, to perform the same functionas the flexible tube '5, may be attached to the water outlet 8, and thistube, also, should be long enough to reachtothe'patient, wherever he maybe in the tank. On the end of this flexible tube 5a is a nozzle 5b, asshown in Fig; 11. At one side of the valve 6 is a post 10, on which aremarkings 11 to indicate the relative pressure'or speed of" the wateremitted from the outlet 8. andfthe flexible tube 5a attached thereto.

Within the va1ve'6 is'a' valve member 12, as shown in Fig. 4. If thevalve member 12 is pushed clear down, the valve is then open for thestream of water to go straight through the valve and the outlet 8, andthe water can then be appliedwithits entire force to the person in thetank. If the valve member 12 is pushed only part of the way down, only aproportional part-of the stream of Water will be allowed to go throughthe outlet 8, the rest being forced to escape through the bypass outlet9. The valve member 12 has a vertical groove 12' whichacts as a keyw'ayto receivea housingcarried pin 17 for preventing rotation of the valvemember except to a limited extent afforded by the provision of threecircumferentially directed grooves 16, whereby the valve member may bedepressed to any of the three positions indicated on the post 10 at 11and then turned slightly to become releasa-bly retained against returnby the spring. When the valve member 12 is pushed a part of the waydown, it may be turned until the notches 16 engage the pin 17 in thatposition. Then, for the valve member 12 to return, it is necessary onlyto reverse the direction of rotation thereof.

The valve member 12 can be pushed downwardly by manual pressure on thehead 13, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, while valve member 12a can beadvanced by screwing the stem 14 inwardly, as shown in Fig. 5. In thelatter method, the adjustment is more accurate than by manually forcingthe valve member 12 downwardly. Consequently, the screw type of stem 14,with the post 10, is the preferred structure. The head 6a has ascrewthreaded opening for the reception of the screw type of stem 14. Inthis case, the valve member has a groove 12b like the groove 12' 'butnotches like 16 are not necessary since the screw threads hold theselected position and the pin rides the groove 12b merely to keep thevalve member 12a from turning. Therefore, valve member 12a may be forceddownwardly to adjust the size of the opening 15 for the flow of water.When the valve member 12 or 12a is clear up, the outlet 8 is closed andthe by-pass outlet 9 is open, but when the valve member 12 or 12a isclear down, the outlet 8 is open and the by-pass outlet 9 is closed.

As shown in Fig. 6, the discharge may be in a plurality of directionsthrough the by-pass outlets 9. In Fig. 6, the discharge is aboutforty-five degrees (45) from straight ahead, both to the right and left.

In Fig. 7, the direction of discharge is shown as through the outlet 8,and is straight ahead. This may be adjusted to throw three or morestreams of water out simultaneously so thatthe patient may be treated insubstantially any way desired.

In the construction shown in Fig. 8, a circular tube i 1 0, tha s. ascrew-threaded outlet 8a havinga direction-changing nozzle 21 having a ewh c is p ov ed h a s t 3 through which extends apin to limit therotation of the nozzle.

The disoharge-ofthe nozzle may be in either direction,

horizontal-or straight down, or in any direction between them, coveringa full half circle below the nozzle.

. This apparatus is intended to cover the treating of a patient wi'thastream-or streams of water flowing in various directions. The; purposeof the controlled pressure is to enable the operator to apply the fluidstream to any part of the human anatomy, as, for example, the

ear, or for vaginal flushing, or any other bodily cavity or surface,including the rectum or colon.

It is of course understood that the specific description of structureset forth :abovemay be departed from without departingfrom the spirit ofthis invention as disclosed in this specification and as defined by theappended Having now described by invention, I claim:

1. Hydrotherapy apparatus, comprising: a patient-receiving' tank havingopposed spaced apart wall portions; fluid dischargemeans adjacent to onewall portion and having a central outlet aimed directly at theopposite'w'all portion to cause a fluid stream to impinge on saidopposite wall portion, and a pair of lateral outlets arranged indivergent relation and respectively flanking the central outlet to causea pair of fluid streams todiverge toward .4 said opposite wall portion;and valve means in said discharge means for selectively connecting thecentral outlet to the inlet exclusively of the lateral outlets and forconnecting the lateral outlets to the inlet exclusively of the centraloutlet.

2. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: said opposite wall of thetank is curved so that it is concave to the outlets whereby thestreamsfiom the lateral outlets swirl, circumferentially toward each other whendirected towardsaidcurved wallportiom 3. The invention defined in'claim1, in which: at least the central outlet isjflembly arranged forselective lateral positioningto vary the direction of its aim.

4. The -invention'definecl in claim 1, in which: the entiredischarge;means is flexibly-arranged for selective lateral positioningto vary the direction of the streams emitting by said outlets. 7 a

5. The invention defined inclaim 1, in which: the discharge meanscomprises a valve body of such size as to .be conveniently held by apatient in the tank, the valve m e'ans is carried, by' said body andincludes a manual control portion for shifting the valve means betweenits position by manual pressure applied by the hand in which the valvebody is held.

' V References Cited in the file of this patent 'UNITED STATES PATENTS511,008 Blunt Dec. 19, 1893 1,116,897 Lehnert Nov. 10, 1914 2,022,742Salerni Dec. 3, 1935 2,484,942 Guise Oct. 18, 1949 2,559,678 SchroeterJuly 10, 1951 2,673,572 Hartmann Mar. 30, 1954 2,772,421 Friend Dec. 4,1956 2,793,372

'Hohman May 28, 1957 qua.

